Regional planner updates county hazard mitigation plan; committee keeps existing hazard ranking

The Adams County Public Safety and Judiciary Committee received an update on the county’s All‑Hazards Mitigation Plan from Daryl Landau of the North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission and voted to retain the existing hazard ranking.

Landau reviewed the planning process, meetings with municipalities and agencies and results from a town mitigation survey, and asked the committee to concur with the current ranked order of hazards carried forward from the prior five‑year plan. He told the committee that FEMA requires the hazard ranking be reviewed during each plan update.

The sheriff urged moving wildfire higher on the list because of Adams County’s wildfire history; other committee members, including Michael and Jane (the county’s emergency management director), suggested severe thunderstorms, lightning and hazardous‑materials incidents also warranted attention. A committee member asked whether the ranking affects FEMA assistance; Landau answered that the ranking itself does not change FEMA’s allocation of aid but that not having an updated plan could affect eligibility for federal assistance after an incident.

After discussion, Bob moved and Larry seconded a motion to keep the previous ranking unchanged for the 2025 update; the committee approved the motion by voice vote. Landau said the planning team will incorporate input, update maps when DNR wildfire data is refreshed, and return with draft mitigation recommendations at a future meeting (the presenter said a virtual meeting option is possible for winter scheduling).

Landau walked through maps showing geography, land use, infrastructure and vulnerabilities (tornado, flood, wildfire) and noted the wildfire vulnerability layer is based on a DNR assessment that may be updated. The committee did not identify changes to the record that would alter the current ranking at this meeting.